Bedroom Tax Have The Tories Lost The Plot?

Few things annoy me as much as when the common people are taken for a ride. Just living in England makes us one of the most expensive countries in the World.

Whether we work a forty hour week, or even part time, the expense is so bad that the majority of us, especially down the South of England, would have to work three life times at our current earnings to be able to buy a house.

Especially in London.

We have had bad taxes before, but the bedroom tax that is on everyone's lips at the moment, has to be the stupidest and most vile.

Over the years we had poll tax, which was about as popular as a sinking ship, Inheritance tax which is just downright wicked, and if that wasn't bad enough we were then subjected to something called HIP (Home Information Pack) which came as part of the Energy Performance Certificate.

For anybody who doesn't know what this was, in a nutshell it involved having to buy a package of information when you were selling your house.

Allowing a government paper pusher to come around and wait for it, tell you whether you needed insulation, had a crack in the wall, and whether the heating was okay!

How do I know this? My brother was selling his house and had the indignity of having this person tell him the blatant obvious.

Now my brother is a clever guy, and to sit there and listen to a 20 something tell him stuff that he knew, and even worse pay over 300 pounds, (approx 450 dollars) to state the obvious was teeth grinding.

Since he has paid it, the government in their wisdom have now scrapped it! Did we get our money back? Did we heck.

Bedroom Tax | Source

Bedroom Tax

But lets not pick the bones out of the old system. Lets go straight onto the fact that I, in my lack of wisdom voted for the Conservatives. Yes I know, stupid. But I always voted for them. As a hard worker we sat back and saw the Labour party let in all the immigrants, give them large handouts and then pass on to them the best council houses. Whether it was them who started that or the Tories I don't really care at this point.

My main gripe now is the bedroom tax. It even sounds stupid. What next? Toilet tax? How many times you take a dump in one day? Sounds idiotic, but the way this country is going it would not surprise me.

Okay, here goes. The Bedroom tax. The government are running out of money. So instead of giving handouts literally the second a foreigner steps of the plane, and yes that's true, they have decided to pick on the poor or old.

After spending years paying taxes in this country, fighting two world wars, and probably having family in England since the Norman conquest back in 1066 AD which added up means thousands and thousands of pounds paid in tax, they are now having to pay for having an empty bedroom in their house.

Remember they are paying rent for the house anyway. But if one of their family has moved out, and there is a spare room, and are on Social Security (welfare) they are going to make them lose up to 30 pounds at least, a fortnight!

Okay, you may be muttering that a lot of these people on handouts are taking as much as they can, have 20 children each and all smoke and drink. Not forgetting the fact that they have never worked. Fair enough that is true. So why don't they wheedle out those dole scroungers and leave the sick and old alone?

And even more to the point, why do the government give money to immigrants the second they get into the country? If that wasn't bad enough they even give them money to send back home to their families abroad!

The Old will suffer. | Source

Facts

According to the Scottish newspaper The Daily Record, sex offenders will not have to pay bedroom tax purely because they are not allowed to Let Out a spare room, and are impossible to rehouse.

Pensioners have been told that they won't have to pay bedroom tax in April. What they were not told is that by October they will be caught in the net if they have an extra room and younger people living with them.

If you have a three bedroom house and two children, the children will be made to share a room so that the bedroom tax will have to be paid on the 'spare' room.

Around 450,000 disabled people will have to pay bedroom tax. Many of these people even though they are married use the extra bedroom because of illness.

With medical equipment, special beds and oxygen storage taking up the main room they have moved into the other room because of space. Even though the room is being used the Government state that couples should sleep together.

Remember This?

Britain at war | Source

Do You Really Want To Take Money Away From Them?

War Veteran | Source

Disgusted

Many of these people live alone and are old and even sick. They may have no family left and have done their bit in the War. Now they face poverty. Starvation and hypothermia are another factor if they lose that extra money a week. At the same time the Tories are giving tax allowances to the rich. Says it all doesn't it?

They seem to forget that many people live on the poverty line. Unlike Mr. Cameron who comes from a well to do family who had enough money to send him to Eton.

And that's what annoys me. These ex public schoolboys look down their noses at the common people. They believe that they are poor, lazy and stupid.

Two points on that one. First of all if we had all been given the privileges that they have we would all be cabinet ministers by now. Have these guys ever had any hardships? No I don't think so.

And the second point is to be born on the lower rung of the ladder means we have to work harder, have more intelligence and most importantly have good health just to get partially up the first few rungs of the ladder. Yet they look down their noses at us. You can tell a person by their hands as my old mum used to say.

A hard working man or woman has callouses and lines, showing the hard graft that they have put in. Take a look at the Prime Minister and his government. Their hands are lilly white and soft. They have never had to push. They have never had to work their way up.

Don't you dare look at us that way. This Country has been built by the poor hard working people, so that you can go to public school and have thousands of pounds allowance from mummy and daddy.

I for one will never vote for them again. They have let me down, my country down and now they disgust me.

Why did I write this? Because it affects one of my elder relatives. Who by the way was in the Air Force in the last War. She also lost a brother. But hey, that doesn't matter does it Mr. Cameron?

All I ask is that you show some decency to the people who have made this Country great. Forget the dole scroungers, just keep in mind that those people with dignity who will be the ones suffering. I thought you had sense. Show it.

Bedroom Tax Protesters

protests against bedroom tax | Source

Hows This For Disgusting?

Janet Bell was in the headlines recently when she was told that she would have to pay bedroom tax on a room that had been converted into a lift shaft.

A vertical lift was put in because she suffers really severe epilepsy so cannot use the stairs. Even though technically there is no longer a bedroom there, she will still have to pay the bedroom tax.

THIS IS WHAT BRITAIN HAS BEEN REDUCED TO. THIS IS THE COUNTRY THAT HAS KEPT OUR LITTLE ISLAND SAFE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS BY THE POOR, HARD WORKING POPULATION. THIS IS HOW WE ARE REPAID. THE TORIES AND THE LABOUR PARTY HAVE RUINED IT OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. NOW THEY TREAT US LIKE DIRT.

STOP GIVING OUR MONEY AWAY AND LOOK AFTER THE BRITISH FOR A CHANGE.

What Do You Think About The Bedroom Tax?

It's disgusting, what is the government thinking?

I agree with it, you should pay more for a spare room in council housing.

Tax some that have never worked, but not the people who have worked or are old and sick.

Comments

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AUTHOR

Nell Rose

3 years agofrom England

Unbelievable! words can't say on here what I want to say Paul, just I get ya!

PAUL BAKER

3 years ago

I LIVE IN A SMALL FLAT AND HAVE NOT USED GAS FOR{ 12 YEARS}

THE OTHER DAY I RECIEIVED A LETTER FROM RESOLVECALL

IN REGUARDS TO AN OVERDUE GAS ACCOUNT!!!

I GOT IN TOUCH WITH BRITISH GAS CUSTOMER SERVICES

THEY SAID IT WAS A STANDING METER CHARGE THE DOING OF THIS GOVENMENT IT BEGGARS BELIEF.

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

3 years agofrom England

Yep I totally agree with you Paul! lol!

PAUL BAKER

3 years ago

*CAMORON* AND HIS REPRABATES WOULD PRIVATISE THE AIR YOU BREATH IF THEY COULD

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

3 years agofrom England

lol! thanks Paul, I will!

PAUL BAKER

3 years ago

HI NELL LOOK UP THOMAS G CLARK ON HOW TO CRITICISE THE

TORY PARTY VERY PERCEPTIVE BLOG

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

3 years agofrom England

Hi Paul, my brother had to sell his house because of inheritance tax! he took over the house when my aunt died, and he had to pay that government 20,000 pnds for the damn priviledge of living there, even though my aunt had bought it outright!

paul baker

3 years ago

I WAS HAVING A CHAT IN MY LOCAL WETHERSPOONS ON

THE LOTTERY I CALL IT MATHMTATICALY IMPAIRED MUGS GAME

14 MILLION TO ONE CHANCE OF WINNING THE SAME ODDS OF GETTING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND BEING IN A PLANE CRASH

ON THE SAME DAY ANOTHER TAX ON THE POOR

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

3 years agofrom England

lol! Thanks Paul! they all drive me insane!

PAUL BAKER

3 years ago

SEEN THE LIGHT AT LAST NELL GREAT STUFF

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

4 years agofrom England

Hi Jo, thanks so much, yes I had a lovely day, its been really hot here, have a lovely time at church, and then have a rest, and take care, nell

Joanna Chandler

4 years agofrom On planet Earth

Lol hey sugar hope u had an awesome day i now hustling to get ready for church to go pray for u i know u need it lmbo just came from work am exhausted. But i need jesus spirit to counteract does demons we meet everyday

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

4 years agofrom England

Hi Jo, lol! you said it exactly like it is! one of these days people will vote for someone worthwhile! thanks again.

Joanna Chandler

4 years agofrom On planet Earth

Eyes rolled up a bunch of retards they are walking all around us everywhere in Jacket and Ties, lovely frocks like the Queen but really and truly they are more stupid that the people who live on the streets. Our government in Trinidad is just a pretty picture of what i just illustrated never came across a bunch of dumb-ass people like that EVER!!!

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

4 years agofrom England

Hi Jo, I totally agree with you, and yes Cameron is! lol! I think they are trying to get rid of it now, now its messed up everybodys house! nicely said! thanks again, nell

Joanna Chandler

4 years agofrom On planet Earth

Bedroom taxs is one of the sickest things i've heard of in my twenty six years on this earth. It is indeed utter rubbish and nosense these fools who have more degrees than a thermometer needs to start using the right head God give to them and think and speak sensible things. Is cameron retarded to come up with that absurdity. Geez! There are other ways to raise money. One is to stop spending lavishly on these so called first class wimps that just sinks the country deeper....

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Becky, its mainly for people in council houses not the private houses, but saying that it wouldn't surprise me if they did that too! thanks so much for reading, nell

Rfordin

5 years agofrom Florida

Wow,

Being in the States I am glad it's not happening here. Some of my older family members would be effected tremendously simply because they housed 2+ kids all their lives and now that the nest is empty, the house is paid off they would be taxed on it?

CRAZYNESS Nell Rose!

It really does get to a point where enough is enough. What genuis politician came up with this tax proposal?!

It's always interesting to read about how other parts of the world do things but this is just plain absurd.

Thanks for sharing.

~Becky

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

lol! probably! these days the government will tax anything, goodness knows what would happen if someone turned their spare bedroom into a nightclub! music tax? thanks Glimmer, nell

Claudia Mitchell

5 years ago

This is unbelievable. It is scary and obtrusive. I can't even imagine taxing a spare room. Can you count an animal as an occupant?!

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi teaches, yes it does feel like a joke doesn't it? its our government thats the joke, unbelievable! thanks so much for reading, nell

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi teaches, yes it does feel like a joke doesn't it? its our government thats the joke, unbelievable! thanks so much for reading, nell

Dianna Mendez

5 years ago

Nell, I kept waiting for a punchline or "joke" comment at the end. I just can't believe it is real. They are taxing people to death!

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Ruchira, yes you are so right, our leaders today are just money and power mad, but I loved Maggie thatcher she at least was in politics to do politics, never been one like her, thanks as always, nell

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Thanks rosemay, yes buckingham palace won't have to pay for it, doesn't it make you mad? I am sure there are many vicky pollards out there getting ready to have another one! lol! thanks again, nell

Rosemary Sadler

5 years agofrom Hawkes Bay - NewZealand

You know Nell whenever I am feeling home sick I will just pop along and read this again. I have never heard anything so rediculos in all my days.

Insisting that the bedroom that was turned into a lift shaft is still a bedroom is just so wrong. What about those garages that have been converted into bedrooms... you can bet your bottom dollar they will not be considered as garages but bedrooms.

For goodness sakes just don't put a tent up in the yard for the kids.

I can just see a Vicky Pollard skit " Oh dear that's Benny left home we better get cracking and make another quick to fill that empty bedroom"

How many empty bedrooms in Buckingkam Palace do you think? ... ah but I was forgetting the working classes will have their taxes raised to cover that. no doubt.

Thank you for keeping us abreast of what is happening over there.

Anyways I was half way through you 'Class system' so popping right back there :))

Ruchira

5 years agofrom United States

Taxes...gosh man will die by its burden

UK lost margret thatcher today who was also cynical and had her own ways...poor public.

Leaders tend to think only in one direction...alas!!

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi anne, yes david cameron should live in the middle ages! thats what makes me mad, they say europe is the same as us and we have the same rules, so why can't expats get social security?! so much for equality! I think you will be given a one bedroom flat, but of course I have no idea how long you will have to wait for one, thats the problem, good luck with it, and it will be great for you to see all your family again, thats the up side, the downside is the council and of course the darn weather! lol!

Anne

5 years agofrom Spain

Hi again Nell. Thinking it over I think David Cameron must have been time warped here from medieval times and am just waiting for him to introduce a windows tax ?

One of the main reasons I am coming back is because I feel I can no longer stay in Spain as I get older, I worry about what would happen to me if I should be taken ill, I wouldn´t be able to earn money then and no hand outs for me here, plus if it was serious who would even know for days on end and who would be helping to look after me and keep an eye on me as I get doddery etc, so after saying that supposing I end up with a council or housing association property, bearing in mind that I am returning to be looked after occasionally if needed, and have loving family around me, and looking forward to my granddaughter coming to stay with her Nan some weekends, am I going to be denied the little 2 bedroom house I am dreaming of because of some hair brained scheme if I cannot afford the extra rental cost ?

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Gordon, lol! no you are not pestering me, to be honest I thought Glasgow would have been 100 percent behind it, I always thought they would be the ones that wanted out so to speak. my friend is scottish and she says that glasgow is a hard liner on this sort of thing, so yes its amazing, I do think the majority of Scotland will stick to the old ways, Salmond doesn't seem to have the charisma for people to listen to him, his anger tends to get in the way! lol! thanks as always, nell

Gordon Hamilton

5 years agofrom Wishaw, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom

Hi, Nell

Feel like I'm pestering you on this - hope you don't mind! ;)

Seeker7 makes a lot of valid points but as another Scot, I have to tell you that - like many hundreds of thousands of other Scots (at least) - I don't think of Scotland as my country. I think of Scotland as a region of my country: Her Brittanic Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (to give it it's full Sunday name) is my country. I want the Micky Mouse House/ Euro Disney 2 (alternaltively known as the Scottish Parliament) demolished and full power returned to London where it belongs. Apart from anything else, have you seen this hideous blot on the landscape...? Totally typifies the dopey SNP...

In line with what Seeker7 said, I saw an interesting poll last night that was taken a few weeks ago from students at one of Glasgow's Universities. In favour of independence? 26%! That shocks me but of course delights me...

Fingers crossed that the common people are learning common sense... :)

Gordon

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Thanks Seeker, I totally agree with you, it was 'war' mainly between the elite, and our royals were a pain in the butt throughout history, I totally agree with that! lol! and yes we do have some brainless English here with the same attitudes too, usually the younger ones who know nothing about history. I have two very close friends, one is from tiperary Ireland, and my other friend is from the Shetlands, and they both say the same as you, and I agree, we all just want to get on with our lives, thanks so much for making Scotlands independance clear, it is just so confusing, and I hope that they get the way they want not Salmonds way just because he believes its right. We all have the right to have a say, well Scotland does, and to be honest there would be loads of english people on both sides of the argument about it if it happened down here, at least I think so. Saying that, Scotland can't possibly run the country any worse than the english government! lol!

Helen Murphy Howell

5 years agofrom Fife, Scotland

Hi Nell,

I think at the moment the opinion for total Scottish independance is about 40% for, 60% against. So Alex Salmond certainly doesn't have, at least yet, a full majority for independance.

For Scotland to have more self governing powers but remain within the UK is about 83% for and 17% against - this is only one survey, but it probably reflects the general opinion at the moment. Whether the actions of the Tory Government will push the swing fully towards independance, well we'll just have to wait and see.

To be honest, I think that the countries are far too connected for any realistic independance for Scotland to take place, at least quickly, it would take many years, and as you point out, what would happen with instituitions like the NHS and also defence? That really causes concerns with many people - and this is not just Scottish people, but obviously there are many English people who live and work here as well.

If Scotland does become independant, then attitudes need to mature and people need to grow up and look forward to the future of our country - not back to wars and skirmishes, at least in the later centuries, that were more about political intrigue and what benefits the nobility or royalty could grab or steal for themsleves, rather than the wars being about ordinary Scottish people against ordinary English people.

I love my country passionately - her culture, history, languages, locations and scenery and so on. But having a love for your country doesn't mean you have anger or hate towards other people in the UK. But every country in the UK, unfortunately, has their share of these ignorant and angry folks! To be honest, I think the majority of people just want to get on with their lives and they don't really care whether their neighbour is Scottish, English, Welsh or Irish.

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Mazzy, I think you hit the nail on the head there. The English live in the moment, we along with Americans Canadians etc are the first people to help others around the world whatever the history. For some reason some, and I mean just some, scots, welsh and irish just won't let go of the past. what happened was hundreds of years ago, we should look to the future. I actually wrote a hub about the truth of war between our countries, and guess what? most of the invasions were actually irish invading scotland, scotland invading ireland and the english were in the background. There is an old saying 'history is full of untruths that we all believe'! thanks so much for reading, nell

Mazzy Bolero

5 years agofrom the U.K.

When Scotland wanted billions from the British taxpayers - ie. mainly the English - for bailing out the Bank of Scotland - I noticed that support for separation suddenly went down - and went up again later when they thought there might be more fuel deposits in Scottish waters. I know there are some great Scottish people but I can't forget how the English cheered the Scottish football team when they were in the World Cup, yet when the English team were in it, the Scots were cheering for Germany.

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Gordon, thanks for coming back, I never realised that it meant complete withdrawal from England. I know southern Ireland is seperate, but Wales still has our NHS etc, complicated stuff, and so true about the expense, knowing cameron, it will probably be the English who pays! as always! lol! I totally understand why some would want to, I am sure we all have different opinions on this, but the one thing that gets me with Salmond is the way he talks about it as though we are the enemy, and out to get him. He forgets that the reason why we joined in the first place back in the 18, 19 th century? sorry can't remember the date off hand, was because the Scottish government had sent out thousands of Scots guys to some far reaches of the world where they all died of plague and the economy fell to pieces, they asked us for help, which we gave, okay there were a few rules to go by, and arrogance on the English goverments side, but thats what happened, if Salmond said, thanks guys, but we want out, fair enough, as long as he pays! lol! thanks Gordon, nell

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Seeker, I couldn't have put it better myself, and its interesting that you mentioned Salmond, according to him, most Scottish people are behind him! I don't really know what it would entail, but all I know is that as you said, we should take back our uk and tell them where to stick it! lol! thanks so much, nell

Gordon Hamilton

5 years agofrom Wishaw, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom

Hi, Nell - sorry for late reply... :)

Yes, if the vote (scheduled for some time 2014 - September, I think) is in favour of total independence, Scotland will part completely from the UK and technically be a foreign country to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It will take many years to negotiate and cost countless billions of pounds.

The obvious question is - who pays??? Like so many other countless issues, don't suppose Salmond's mob have thought of that...

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi sally, oh for goodness sake! who the hell does cameron think he is? oliver cromwell? can't do this, can't do that! he is making it so bad for everyone, thanks for reading, nell

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi anne, I totally agree, they are money grabbing....! well you get the point! have the government paid back their 'extra houses?' no, have they stopped dipping into tax payers money for their lunches? no! they say we are leeches, well, what the hell are they? but of course they are really busy people!... do you know what the latest law is today? as well as the law that protects gays, transgenders, race and so on they have come up with a real hunky dory one! protect bullying against goths and punks! honest! not a joke! well, they are a joke...! good luck with coming back to good old blightly, can I have your house in spain? lol! thanks as always, nell

Helen Murphy Howell

5 years agofrom Fife, Scotland

Hi Nell - an awesome hub and I agree with you entirely about the cruelty and absurdities of the so called 'bedroom tax'.

It's so sad, but the UK is an absolute joke and an absurd mess! The Tories blame Labour, Labour blame the Tories, The Lib Dems dribble and mutter under their breaths because they don't have the balls to make a decision on their own!!! It's pathetic!

Being from mining stock in Fife, Scotland, nobody about here ever voted Tory, basically they're seen as the enemy in my small part of the UK. Most here tend to vote either Labour or SNP - but look on the bright side Nell, at least you don't have to put up sneaky, smarmy pants Salmond!

But as I said although the majority here voted Labour/SNP, there is not much difference between any of them - they are all self-seeking, gutless, heartless twats! Labour are basically lilly-livered idiots who should have rooted out all the slackers on welfare. The tories are suppose to have began this - not in my neck of the woods! I hear horror stories about ill people and those genuinely out of work and looking hard for a job, who will probably lose benefits - while I still see the lazy good for nothings picking up their money and racing to the nearest pub!

It's not often I admit this Nell, basically because I do feel a bit ashamed of it to be honest. But I've never voted in last few elections. Why? Because I don't trust or like any of them! Comedian Billy Connelly once said "the wish to be a politician should bar you from life from ever being one." Never a truer word was said.

I think the moment any Government starts to crap on the backbone of any country - the working people - then the cracks get bigger and collapse is inevitable. What this Government is aiming for is to have zero responsibility for it's people and ensure that the rich remain rich! I look around and see wee kids and babies and I actually feel so sorry for them and I worry about what kind of country they will have when they are young adults?

You've written a superb hub Nell and I salute you and agree with your sentiments - we can only hope that somehow our country will pick itself up and show some of the guts that our grandparents and parents had all those years ago when we won the war!

Sally Gulbrandsen

5 years agofrom Norfolk

According to a reliable source, the Tories are even targeting foster parents who live in social housing. They will give the parents a relief from the tax on their first and second bedroom. Any additional rooms, even if used by Foster Children attract the bedroom tax. Unbelievable when you think there is a huge shortage of foster parents.

Anne

5 years agofrom Spain

Hi Nell. This is an absolute disgrace and whoever dreamed it up should be shot. The problem is that since Margaret Thatchers reign British people in general have all been castrated, no one has the balls left to put up a bloody good fight anymore, yes you get the odd protest here and there and everyone moaning but then we all shut up and pay up. I realize the government are trying to weed out doleites who have no intention of ever doing an honest days work in their lives, and about time too, but this is not the way to go about it, and how can you introduce something like this bedroom tax seemingly overnight, it takes months to arrange with your local council to move into different accommodation, if there are smaller houses to be had in the first place, and anyway why should someone who has paid their rent on time every week and made their council home into their own little palace be forced to cough up more because the kids have grown up and flown the nest.

One of the main reasons we moved to Spain was to get away from how bad Britain had become , I am now coming back and frankly dreading it, I´m worried already about how I am going to manage to keep warm in the winter and be able to pay my bills, but there really is no choice.

I have been waiting for years for the shit to hit the fan in the UK, but sadly the governments keep introducing one more hair brained scheme after another to wring peoples hard earned money out of them and they get away with it time after time..." Great "Britain... you are having a laugh.

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Mazzy, yes those first homes, and some even had second homes, it makes me sick, they get a slap on the wrist and thats all, thanks for reading and these points that I had forgotten, nell

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Ruby, yes lets vote them all out, seriously, its the everyday people who know what its like to live like this, and no I won't tell your government about the spare room! lol! thanks as always, nell

Mazzy Bolero

5 years agofrom the U.K.

Older people often need a spare room so that their grown-up children can stay over. Putting them into one-bedroom accommodation usually means moving them to some hell-hole block of flats, as there are very few single bedroom council properties around suitable for older people. There are abuses of the welfare system that should be stopped, but this wasn't one of them. Compare the "waste" of granny living in a 2 bed flat to the MPs who made millions using taxpayers' money to buy and refurbish their "second homes" in London then calling them their "first home" to pay no Capital Gains Tax on the sale. We "tax" the first and reward the second. Not a single one of the MPs who did this have been made to refund a single penny.

Ruby Jean Richert

5 years agofrom Southern Illinois

I know how you feel Nell. OMG, i have an extre bedroom that i keep closed off, don't tell our government..You know our governments are in cohoots. We should vote them all out and let the hard working people run both countries. You make the signs, i'll be over and we'll protest. All kidding aside, it's ridiculous!! Great article...

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi alocsin, we should have that, but no I think the government have loop holes for everything, seems we are going to be stuck with it for a while, thanks as always, nell

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Gordon, thats interesting to hear you say that about devolution, I often wonder what it exactly means. Do Scotland have to get their own NHS after we break? if not, why not? And social money too, will it be like southern Ireland totally independant? yes I liked Margaret Thatcher she stood no nonsense, maybe thats why I stuck with them, thanks as always, nell

alocsin

5 years agofrom Orange County, CA

What a bizarre tax. I know that would never fly in the U.S.A. In California, if we don't like something, we can put an initiative on the ballot to remove it. I guess you don't have that there. (Of course, government by ballot initiative has its own special set of problems.) Voting this Up and Interesting.

Gordon Hamilton

5 years agofrom Wishaw, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom

Nell, I have to admit that I have never in my life voted anything other than Tory. I joined the Conservative Party (quite literally!) on the day of my 18th birthday and had the pleasure and honour of being involved in Lady Thatcher's regime at several levels, meeting my great heroine many times in the process.

Sadly, I have long since allowed my membership to lapse. I do not believe that there is a Tory Party in Britain any more; instead, there is a mishmash of wimpy losers who care only about gaining votes from one another and have simply become a glut of individualists, no one having any idea which party stands for what. I believe that is precisely why we have a hung parliament. They're all the same shade of pinky/bluey/grey! :)

The worst part of it all for me is that it now clearly represents the end of the Union and will of course see me leave my native Scotland for the last time. I have sworn all my life that I will never so much as set foot in an independent Scotland. Whether I move back to England or to Germany, I haven't decided yet.

The bedroom tax is horrific - but I fear there may be far worse to come...

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi SilentReed, now thats a good idea! why didn't I think of that? lol! thanks so much for reading, nell

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Thanks carter! lol!

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Larry, yep those lunatics are there again! seems both our countries are going mad, well, at least the so called leaders! thanks as always.

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi lily, seems like the whole world has gone mad, I will have to wait and see how long it is before they realise just how stupid this is, thanks as always, nell

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi Vicki, yes thats what they have been doing, but to no avail, they won't listen. Yes it seems that our history has passed them by, they are just jumped up public schoolboys, who live in free houses and are millionaires! fact! thanks as always, nell

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi drbj, yes it seems so, I think they can't find anything else to tax so they end up doing this, its appalling, thanks so much for reading, nell

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Thanks poet, it reminds me of the middle ages and all the strange taxes back then, I believe they had a window tax then! thanks so much for reading, nell

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi christopher, thats the problem, why should people who have probably worked all their lives have to downsize? its so ridiculous, not sure who to vote for in future, are the loony party still going? lol!

poetvix

5 years agofrom Gone from Texas but still in the south. Surrounded by God's country.

What's next? Are they going to bean count the toilet paper and the tampons for taxation as well? This is crazy. Stuff like this is going on here too. I think it's the powers that be around the world weakening the masses to the point of breaking so they can then come in and save the day with their pitches of global government. Never mind they manufacture the crisis all along. Talk about bleeding people dry! You did a great job calling this out for just what it is, lunacy loosely veiled to cover leeching!

Christopher Antony Meade

5 years agofrom Gillingham Kent. United Kingdom

It isn't a tax, but it still has not been thought through properly, because people cannot find the properties to "downsize" into. I reckon this is one that will have to be scrapped sooner rather than later. That example of the lift being classified as a bedroom, just shows how ridiculous the whole thing is.

I'll still vote Conservative mind you. They may be wrong in this, but they only need the money because the previous government wasted so much.

Great hub though Nell. Full of fire. I like that.

drbj and sherry

5 years agofrom south Florida

Here I thought only the U.S. had some ridiculous regulations for prying money out of the pockets of citizens but now I have read, thanks to you, Nell, about the bedroom tax, and your country seems to be emulating us. Has the entire world gone insane?

Vickiw

5 years ago

Hi Nell, it seems that the only way to be effective is to riot in the streets! This is so unbelievable, you have to wonder if the people in your government aren't actually aware of British History. Perhaps so many of the population are now on ill deserved benefits that they have to claw back any way they can, and to hell with the fact that some deserve, and a whole lot don't. So sorry for the way things are going.

Lillian K. Staats

5 years agofrom Wasilla, Alaska

O.K., well, this is obviously why we left England: taxation w/ out representation, but, to make you feel better? Our Govt. still allows people to die of curable diseases, while bailing out the banks to the tune of trillions. All bow to the almighty banks; which, Nell, is what I believe is the problem in the first place.

Remember when Iceland kicked out all the Agro bankers? They had brought that country to it's knees in 4 years. After they were kicked out, it took six months to get back to normal

Larry Fields

5 years agofrom Northern California

Hi Nell,

It sounds like the lunatics are running the asylum. If you like, you can take cold comfort in the knowledge that it's pretty bad in the USA too.

Under Barry, and the Smirking Chimp before him, the gubmint has been torpedoing the economy, and salami-slicing our Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, one at a time.

The Department of Homeland Security--NOT the military--has recently put in an order for 1.6 BILLION rounds of ammunition. That's enough to shoot every man, woman, and child in America five times. The DHS refuses to answer the few Congress critters who dare to ask why.

Apparently, our Marxist Messiah is planning to declare martial law, to anoint himself as dictator-for life, and to shoot anyone who questions his infinite wisdom. Yes, it can happen here. Please don't get me started.

Sorry, I didn't mean to steal any of your thunder. Voted up and awesome.

Mary

5 years agofrom Cronulla NSW

Your welcome Nell.. Love to have you & no..no TP Tax as yet:) but only a matter of time!

SilentReed

5 years agofrom Philippines

For a moment I thought you were pulling my leg. (April fools day) until I look it up on the internet_In a nutshell, it's a spare room subsidy. People either have to move into smaller living quarters or take a cut in their benefits. Since this would affect almost 700,000 households who receive social housing benefits, one can understand the outrage. But can the law be realistically enforce? Suppose I have a spare room, what's to stop me knocking down the walls between them and turning them into one big room?

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi billy, thats it exactly, ludicrous. I believe you are right, they probably get on the phone to each other and come up with these stupid ideas, thanks as always, nell

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Sounds like it B. Leekley, it seems that even if you make it into an office, or sewing room its still said to be a bedroom, and yes you are right, what about visitors? the government are hoping that after all the moaning we will just pay it, and what else are we supposed to do? it only effects people on low incomes who claim housing benefit, which helps to pay the rent, so out goes the extra work room and even kids have to share a room because its 'spare'. thanks so much for reading, nell

Bill Holland

5 years agofrom Olympia, WA

I don't even know how to comment about this tax, Nell. It is so ludicrous as to leave one speechless. I swear the same people are passing laws in the U.S. and England. Insanity reigns supreme in the guise of politicians.

Brian Leekley

5 years agofrom Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Whatever the rational for a tax on spare bedrooms might be, clearly the enforcement is inept and senseless when a home elevator for a disabled person is called a spare bedroom.

What counts as a spare bedroom? When their three children grew up and moved away, my wife's brother and his wife turned a spare bedroom into a sewing and quilting room and another into a guest room. In England, would those be taxed as spare bedrooms? So it is a tax to punish creativity and self-reliance and to make out of town visitors stay at a hotel or motel?

AUTHOR

Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Thanks carter, I think I will emigrate to Australia! lol! unless of course they do have toilet paper tax! thanks for reading, nell

Thanks Jackie, lol! yes I do think the governments of our countries should listen to the people, at the end of the day, we were the ones that voted them in, never again! thanks as always, nell

Jackie Lynnley

5 years agofrom The Beautiful South

Girl you are singing my song! Well I don't know about bedroom tax but all the other. I don't even want them to take from the rich, gee, we all need to pay a % just all of us and that is fair but as you say to get people in not even citizens by the millions and start handing our money out to them while we do have the poor and the old and ones no one ever consider. That should be the taxpayers decision and people should aught to start making some noise!

Now we both feel better....don't we? lol

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Nell Rose

5 years agofrom England

Hi sally, I totally agree with you, I always voted for them before, God knows why, but just looking at them on tv makes me sick, I just saw on tv that someone said that duncan smith should try living on 53 pound a week see how he likes it, but just like all the rest thats the amount he uses out of our tax money for his lunch! thanks for reading, nell

Sally Gulbrandsen

5 years agofrom Norfolk

Can't wait for this Government to get their just desserts, harming the sick and vulnerable is not the answer. The answer is to tax the fat cats who have like themselves who have not got a clue about what it must be like to live in poverty.

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